Govt clears about 110 applications for imports of laptops, other IT hardware products

The government has cleared about 110 applications of the 111 requests received for allowing imports of laptops, computers and other IT hardware products so far, an official said. The companies that received approvals include Dell International Services India, Appl India, HP India Sales Pvt Ltd, Lenovo (India), ASUS India, IBM India, Samsung India Electronics, Xiaomi Technology India, Cisco Commerce India, Siemens Ltd and Bosch Ltd, the official said.

As many as 111 applications have been received so far seeking authorization for the import of IT products, the official added. The government last month tweaked curbs on imports of laptops and computers, allowing importers to bring in shipments of IT hardware from overseas on a mere 'authorisation' upon detailing quantity and value. The new 'import management system' is aimed at monitoring shipments of laptops, tablets and computers into the country without hurting market supply or creating a cumbersome licensing regime.

"Around 110 import authorisations have been issued to date. All major IT hardware companies have already availed authorisations. All applications received are being disposed of within the time stipulated. There is no pendency as on date," the official said. The new license regime is applicable to laptops, personal computers (including tablet computers), microcomputers, large or mainframe computers, and certain data processing machines to ensure India’s trusted supply chain.